Gardening safety

In the new July-August course schedule, there are several featured courses that have to do with gardening. whether your a novice gardener or a real green thumb, you should attend one of these couses and visit the following link to learn more about gardening safety.

http://gardening.about.com/od/gardenproblems/tp/Garden-Safety.htm

Enjoying a Healthy Summer

Having fun this summer and staying healthy at the same time can be very easy. Just follow these simple steps:

• When going outside, always wear a high SPF sunscreen (at Least 30) to prevent sunburns and skin cancer
• when outdoors, always wear bug spray to prevent the spread of diseases such as West Nile, Lyme disease and Yellow Fever.
• When it is especially hot outdoors, be sure to monitor yourself closely. If you start to feel faint or dizzy, head inside immediately, for this could be a sign of heatstroke.
• Be sure to remain indoors during thunder storms in order to reduce the Chance of getting struck by lightning.
• Be cautious of allergens in the air, such as ragweed and pollen when outside.

If you follow these simple steps, and use common sense, you are sure to have a great summer.

Happy 4th of July

The Health Passport office at St.Anthonys Central will be closed on Friday the 3rd of July through Sunday the 5th due independence day. it will reopen on Monday the 6th.

Celebrate Summer with Health Passport!

Our NEW JULY-AUGUST Course Schedule is available online now!
Click HERE to view our latest class offerings.
Make sure to register for all classes you are interested in, regardless of fee.
Call us at 303-629-4921

Check it out!

Health and the Internet

Knowledge is at our fingertips. The World Wide Web has given us the ability to search thousands upon thousands of articles through thousands of websites to find the details of any topic from last night’s sports scores to the latest international news stories. Health information too has become readily available through sites like WebMD.com and the Mayo Clinic’s website, but the Internet lacks content regulators, and as a result, articles and discussion boards can often contain grossly inaccurate information.

Before taking to heart any health-related information or advice found on the web, it is important to evaluate the quality of the site to determine the reliability of its contents. The University of Colorado Health Sciences Center has developed a website to help Internet users navigate the web, and find accurate, reliable health information.

UCHSC recommends that anyone seeking health-related information or guidance on the Internet should follow the DOCTOr acronym to determine the information’s accuracy:

• Design - the aesthetics and ease of movement around the site.
• Other - cost of use, is the site rated or reviewed?
• Content - the depth and quality of the information, its purpose and audience.
• Technical - the technology requirements of the site, the effectiveness of the technology used.
• Origin - the author and sponsor of the site, their qualifications for presenting the information, the date of the information.

The answers to these questions should help you evaluate whether or not the site can be trusted for accuracy.

For more information and to see the site in full, please visit: http://hsclibrary.uchsc.edu/education/evaluating.php

Medicare Changes Policies on Home-Oxygen Therapy

Healthcare was one of the biggest issues in last year’s presidential election, and over the past several months, it has become evident that the candidates’ calls for reform were more than just campaign rhetoric. Central to the government’s already-established health care system, it’s no surprise that Medicare has been the focus of many of these discussions.

One crucial issue affecting many Medicare patients is the system’s new policies regarding home-oxygen therapy. The Wall Street Journal reported on this set of complex rules this morning. Under the new regulations, which took effect on January 1, Medicare will subsidize 80% of the cost home-oxygen therapy for 36 months, at which time, payments to equipment providers are reduced to minimal amounts that cover occasional follow-up visits. Medicare continues this level of support for the next 24 months, at which time the patient is eligible to seek new equipment.

Suppliers have responded negatively to this change in policy, making it difficult for patients to change providers and seek new equipment. Home-oxygen therapy patients should be sure to understand the new policies before changing equipment providers, so that they can take advantage of all available Medicare benefits.

For more information, please see the article in full at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124511204251317173.html